This invention relates generally to systems for automatically handling and conveying articles of circular cross section such as bottles. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for automatically regulating the timing of each of a plurality of bottles or the like (hereinafter referred to collectively as bottles) supplied in a single file and sending the same to a succeeding process step. In a particular aspect thereof, the invention relates to the device applied to the combining of a plurality of rows of single-file bottles into a single file in a smooth and orderly manner.
Among the methods known heretofore for collecting bottles that are being continuously supplied, there are the method of collection by merely using guides for merging thereby to force the bottles together and the method depending on the use of worm screws whose spacing intervals continuously vary. The former method, however, has a drawback in that the bottles contact and rub violently with each other, whereby bottles are damaged and cause much noise. The latter method tends to require elaborate-scale and expensive equipment for reasons such as the difficulty in fabricating the screws, the necessity of driving power in all cases, and the necessity of synchronism for intercoupling to other devices.
While bottles are reused by recovering, in general, their serviceable lives are greatly influenced by their handling. Particularly when bottles are being collected in a bottling process, the bottles are easily damaged. When a bottle is thus damaged, it can no longer be used as a commercial commodity or as a container of a commerical commodity.